Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-05-16
CHILDREN'S DAY.
IL Is Beautifully Observed a
Trinity Va n. Church.


Trinity Va n. Church.
BY appointment Of the general con
ference of the M. E. Church South, yes
terday was observed as Children's Da.
wherever that Church is planted.
An interesting programme. prepare'
by the Sunday School Secretary, Wa
fully carried out at Trinity Church il
this city.
At 10 o'clock, the hour appointed fol
the beginning of the morning service, th,
spacious auditorium was well filed by I
congregation composed largely of child
rem and young people.
The room had been tastefully decorated
for the occasion, and the bright flower:
and brighter faces of the children pre-
scented q scene of rare beauty.
Suspended over the choir.loft, in front
of the great organ, was the motto,
"Childrens Day." wrought in orange
blossoms.
The chairs, altar, communion.table,
stands and piano were covered with
flowers in various designs - wreaths,
festoops, crosses, Tyres and bouquets.
Superintendent W. s. Reavis was
muster of ceremonies. There were songs
by the congregation, anthems by the
excellent choir of the church, responsive
readings from the scriptures, prayer
by the pastor aud several appropriate
recitations.
The central throught - running
through the entire programme--Was
"Christ, the good shepherd
Rev. w. B. Stradley was called upon
for an address, and spoke in substance
as follows. "Children, am glad to see
so many OF you here to-day. More than
anything else j have missed your bright
faces from my congregations. You are
TO understand that, while this is your
dsy In particular, every day in this
house is yours, and If any are to be
turned away for lack Of room they are
to be old people whose characters are
formed would not want to live in the
finest house in town if there were no
children there, and | don't want to
preach to the largest congregation in
which there are no children.
l am going to tell you something about
The first place in the Bible where Christ
is iikened to a shepherd. II is the elev.
enth verse of the fortieth chapter of
Isaiah. There it was said, 700 years
before he was born, "He shall feed his
flock like shepherds; he shall gather
the lambs with his arm aud carry them
in his bosom." You don't know much
about shepherds life, but those people
TO whom this was spoken did. All over
the green hills of Palestine there were
thousands of sheep and goats. The
shepherd was strong. aud brave, and
wise, and loving Such also is this great
shepherd. Ii you would see how strong
and wise he is, read, when you go home,
the fortieth chapter of Isaiah. He can
weigh Old Baldy with steelyards, and
the big hill down by the depot 10 pair
of balances. He can take the Pacific
ocean up in the hollow OF his hand.
Then he is so wise that he made this
beautiful earth without consulting any
one. You know how long it takes your
mother to make a dress by new pat.
tern. She puts the paper on the cloth
and turns it and talks it all over long
time. But God, our shepherd, cut ont
the earth and spread out the heavens
and scooped out the beds OF the seas
without any trouble.
Like "a shepherd he both knows and
loves all his sheep. | read, not long
since, of a Boston merchant who had
eleven children. lie went away early
in the morning and came home late at
night. One day business was dull, so
he went home early and concluded to
help put the children to bed. About
that time his wife came into the room
and said, "Dear. what are you doing !"
"Why, wife, L am putting the children
to bed, and hearing them say their
prayers" "But, my dear, that is one
of the neighbor's children which you
have undressed." The father did not
know his children and his neighbor's
children apart. Not so our Shepherd.
He knows every one Of His sheep and
lambs. He leads them where the pas
lures are green and where the waters
ara bright aud cool. Then, like good,
brave shepherd. He keeps off all our
enemies. Children. what great enemy
have we? IA dozen voices answered,
Satan.l Yes, Satan is our great enemy,
and he is cunning one, too. Not
long since a gentleman caught out in
Arizona very peculiar bird; it is called
a devil hawk, and it il well named.
Like Satan ii deceives those whom it
would destroy 1t looks like pigeon.
except the head, and it flies in among
the pigeons and catches them. But the
time comes, by and by, when Satan
does not have to use any deceit.
He gets men bound, and then he
don't care if they do recognize him. One
time ship going out of New York har.
bor sighted another ship, which had at
its masthead three black balls. Do you
know what that meant? Well, II
meant that the ship was not under con-
troll. Something was wrong with the
machinery by which it was to be
steered We soc lots of men and women
who ought TO display the three black
balls. They are no longer under con
troll. Satan appeared. first as friend
aud told them there was no danger in
glass Of wine, or a little story, or some
thing else; now they are led captive n
his will.
Beware, dear children, of the first stel
in sin.
There are not five of you here to.da.
who are not old enough to be religion
and members OF the church. May Co
grant that you may all give your heart
to hi,n while they are young and tender
nR SCHREIRER.